diff --git a/weed/command/filer_meta_backup.go b/weed/command/filer_meta_backup.go
index 56c7f7a8c..b7cb855f9 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_meta_backup.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_meta_backup.go
@@ -162,24 +162,21 @@ func (metaBackup *FilerMetaBackupOptions) streamMetadataBackup() error {
 		ctx := context.Background()
 		message := resp.EventNotification
 
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsEmpty(resp) {
 			return nil
-		}
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
+		} else if filer_pb.IsCreate(resp) {
 			println("+", util.FullPath(message.NewParentPath).Child(message.NewEntry.Name))
 			entry := filer.FromPbEntry(message.NewParentPath, message.NewEntry)
 			return store.InsertEntry(ctx, entry)
-		}
-		if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		} else if filer_pb.IsDelete(resp) {
 			println("-", util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(message.OldEntry.Name))
 			return store.DeleteEntry(ctx, util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(message.OldEntry.Name))
-		}
-		if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
-			if resp.Directory == message.NewParentPath && message.OldEntry.Name == message.NewEntry.Name {
-				println("~", util.FullPath(message.NewParentPath).Child(message.NewEntry.Name))
-				entry := filer.FromPbEntry(message.NewParentPath, message.NewEntry)
-				return store.UpdateEntry(ctx, entry)
-			}
+		} else if filer_pb.IsUpdate(resp) {
+			println("~", util.FullPath(message.NewParentPath).Child(message.NewEntry.Name))
+			entry := filer.FromPbEntry(message.NewParentPath, message.NewEntry)
+			return store.UpdateEntry(ctx, entry)
+		} else {
+			// renaming
 			println("-", util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(message.OldEntry.Name))
 			if err := store.DeleteEntry(ctx, util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(message.OldEntry.Name)); err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_meta_tail.go b/weed/command/filer_meta_tail.go
index 1158ef1e0..51c4e7128 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_meta_tail.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_meta_tail.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func runFilerMetaTail(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 	}
 
 	shouldPrint := func(resp *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) bool {
-		if resp.EventNotification.OldEntry == nil && resp.EventNotification.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsEmpty(resp) {
 			return false
 		}
 		if filterFunc == nil {
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway_buckets.go b/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway_buckets.go
index afe640f5f..cc49a1b95 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway_buckets.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway_buckets.go
@@ -174,10 +174,10 @@ func (option *RemoteGatewayOptions) makeBucketedEventProcessor(filerSource *sour
 			return handleEtcRemoteChanges(resp)
 		}
 
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsEmpty(resp) {
 			return nil
 		}
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsCreate(resp) {
 			if message.NewParentPath == option.bucketsDir {
 				return handleCreateBucket(message.NewEntry)
 			}
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func (option *RemoteGatewayOptions) makeBucketedEventProcessor(filerSource *sour
 			}
 			return updateLocalEntry(&remoteSyncOptions, message.NewParentPath, message.NewEntry, remoteEntry)
 		}
-		if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsDelete(resp) {
 			if resp.Directory == option.bucketsDir {
 				return handleDeleteBucket(message.OldEntry)
 			}
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_remote_sync_dir.go b/weed/command/filer_remote_sync_dir.go
index ccedc9d80..5859645e9 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_remote_sync_dir.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_remote_sync_dir.go
@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@ func makeEventProcessor(remoteStorage *remote_pb.RemoteConf, mountedDir string,
 			return handleEtcRemoteChanges(resp)
 		}
 
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsEmpty(resp) {
 			return nil
 		}
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsCreate(resp) {
 			if !filer.HasData(message.NewEntry) {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func makeEventProcessor(remoteStorage *remote_pb.RemoteConf, mountedDir string,
 			}
 			return updateLocalEntry(&remoteSyncOptions, message.NewParentPath, message.NewEntry, remoteEntry)
 		}
-		if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsDelete(resp) {
 			glog.V(2).Infof("delete: %+v", resp)
 			dest := toRemoteStorageLocation(util.FullPath(mountedDir), util.NewFullPath(resp.Directory, message.OldEntry.Name), remoteStorageMountLocation)
 			if message.OldEntry.IsDirectory {
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_sync.go b/weed/command/filer_sync.go
index 172be6a9a..37ce2aa73 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_sync.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_sync.go
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ func genProcessFunction(sourcePath string, targetPath string, dataSink sink.Repl
 		}
 
 		// handle deletions
-		if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsDelete(resp) {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(string(sourceOldKey), sourcePath) {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ func genProcessFunction(sourcePath string, targetPath string, dataSink sink.Repl
 		}
 
 		// handle new entries
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsCreate(resp) {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(string(sourceNewKey), sourcePath) {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ func genProcessFunction(sourcePath string, targetPath string, dataSink sink.Repl
 		}
 
 		// this is something special?
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsEmpty(resp) {
 			return nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_on_meta_event.go b/weed/filer/filer_on_meta_event.go
index 720e019f4..3b290deca 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_on_meta_event.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_on_meta_event.go
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ func (f *Filer) onBucketEvents(event *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) {
 		}
 	}
 	if f.DirBucketsPath == event.Directory {
-		if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsCreate(event) {
 			if message.NewEntry.IsDirectory {
 				f.Store.OnBucketCreation(message.NewEntry.Name)
 			}
 		}
-		if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+		if filer_pb.IsDelete(event) {
 			if message.OldEntry.IsDirectory {
 				f.Store.OnBucketDeletion(message.OldEntry.Name)
 			}
diff --git a/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go b/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
index 881fee08f..a0c5935ca 100644
--- a/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
+++ b/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ func SubscribeMetaEvents(mc *MetaCache, selfSignature int32, client filer_pb.Fil
 					newKey := util.NewFullPath(dir, message.NewEntry.Name)
 					mc.invalidateFunc(newKey, message.NewEntry)
 				}
-			} else if message.OldEntry == nil && message.NewEntry != nil {
+			} else if filer_pb.IsCreate(resp) {
 				// no need to invaalidate
-			} else if message.OldEntry != nil && message.NewEntry == nil {
+			} else if filer_pb.IsDelete(resp) {
 				oldKey := util.NewFullPath(resp.Directory, message.OldEntry.Name)
 				mc.invalidateFunc(oldKey, message.OldEntry)
 			}
diff --git a/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go b/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go
index 052b09531..5f613a55d 100644
--- a/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go
+++ b/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ func LookupEntry(client SeaweedFilerClient, request *LookupDirectoryEntryRequest
 
 var ErrNotFound = errors.New("filer: no entry is found in filer store")
 
+func IsEmpty(event *SubscribeMetadataResponse) bool {
+	return event.EventNotification.NewEntry == nil && event.EventNotification.OldEntry == nil
+}
 func IsCreate(event *SubscribeMetadataResponse) bool {
 	return event.EventNotification.NewEntry != nil && event.EventNotification.OldEntry == nil
 }